


The Sirens Sing (So Say It Now)

by kaleidomusings



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Corruption, Family, Family Feels, M/M, Police, Police Brutality, Resistance, Secret Identity, Undercover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-05-29 01:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6353545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidomusings/pseuds/kaleidomusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fresh out of the police academy and eager to make a difference, all Finn wants is to help people. But he's quickly disillusioned when he comes face to face with the corruption and violence so deeply rooted in the city's police force. Now, after being ordered to investigate an activist group called the Resistance, he has to decide whether or not to betray his new friends - even if it means jeopardizing his own family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The measure of things

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been in the works for a really long time, so I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you think by leaving kudos and comments below!

"Finn! You're back!"

"You sound like I moved to another country, instead of across town," he protests with a laugh. But he kneels down, not even caring his jeans will get dirty, and lets himself be swarmed by a horde of excited and hyperactive kids. He hugs every one of them, his heart clenching when shy little Sonya presses a sloppy kiss to his cheek. 

"I missed you," she whispers in his ear. 

He holds her close. "I missed you too," he says, although she probably doesn't realize how much. 

"You cut your hair!" Alfie, the youngest, says loudly. His real name is Alfonso, but everyone calls him Alfie. He's a sweet boy and cried for nearly a week when Finn moved out.

Ismael -tall and weedy, being the oldest and having just started puberty- pulls back to look Finn up and down with a frown. "And you're not wearing your police uniform."

"Those are the rules, kid," Finn says with a lightness he doesn't feel. He hates having to wear the uniform while on duty. He only ever feels himself anymore when he's back in his civilian clothes. 

Nicole, only a year younger than Ismael but the tiniest of the group, clings to Finn's neck as he stands. She's light, too light, and Finn considers taking a shift off the next time she visits Dr. Kalonia. "Rey is angry with you," she informs him solemnly. "She thinks you don't call home enough."

Mostly because he doesn't have a lot to talk about except for work, which he can't talk about anyway because everything about it is classified. "Yeah, I bet she is. She's probably going to chew my ear off."

The kids make disgusted faces at him and Finn finds it so hilarious that he can't help but laugh. 

"Which is nothing compared to the scolding I have in store for you," Maz Kanata, the matron of the orphanage and the only mother Finn has ever known, says as she limps toward him. 

"Maz, you're going to catch a cold out here--"

She holds up a hand to stop him. "The last thing I need is for you to fuss over me," she says and thumps him so hard on the back that he nearly topples over. "Come in. You're just in time for dinner."

Finn flushes, because he is hungry but that wasn't his intention at all. "I couldn't--"

Maz scowls at him, her comically huge glasses sliding down her nose. "Get in here before I drag you in by the ears."

"Yes ma'am." Finn lets himself be dragged into the house where he passes Kara, an old cat Rey has had since they were kids. Kara's tail lashes back and forth as she stares up at him with her green eyes until he kneels down in front of her. He strokes her behind the ears, smiling at the loud purring that follows. "Missed you too, cat."

Maz ended up making all of his favorite foods, almost like she knew he was coming, which probably shouldn't surprise him as much as it does. Finn is already half convinced she may or may not be psychic, with all the times she caught him and Rey sneaking up onto the roof when they were supposed to be asleep, staring up at the stars and whispering what they would do when they were old enough to leave. 

"Where's Rey?" he asks as the kids scurry to set the table. Cooking and setting up used to be his responsibilities when he still lived at the orphanage, but the last time he tried to help with any of that Maz chased him out of the kitchen with a dish towel. He's learned his lesson since then and instead glances around the room. 

The large but very old house Maz uses as an orphanage is one that -under anyone else's care- would probably have fallen apart years ago. But Maz takes very good care of the place and the children she takes in. Finn lived with three foster families before he was sent to Maz, and he never understood the concept of a home until he spent those first few days with her.  

"She's helping out at the shelter tonight," Maz says, stirring a big pot that smelled so good it made his mouth water. "She should be back soon."

Of course Rey spends every bit of spare time she has at the shelter despite all the tests she has to take and college applications to write. Rey is a natural when it came to caring for animals and it's a dream of hers to go to veterinary school.

"Oh. Speaking of, I almost forgot," Finn says.

Maz frowns when he pulls an envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket and lays it on the counter next to her. "You should be saving that money for your own future," she scolds him. 

Finn forces a smile. "You and the kids are way more important. Take it, Maz."

She still doesn't look happy about the dismissive way he addresses her concerns, but tucks it away in her apron all the same. She opens her mouth, most likely to scold him some more, but before she can his phone rings. 

He looks at the screen with a sinking feeling, especially when he realizes that it's from the precinct.

"Sorry, I have to take this," he says and walks into the other room to answer it. "Yes?"

"FN-2187." Captain Phasma never bothers with greetings or names. No one at the First Order ever does. "Report to my division immediately."

He can't understand why she's calling him on his night off, when he barely has enough time to visit his family as it is and always makes sure to have one of his colleges cover for him even in the case of an emergency. "Captain, I--"

"I expect you to be here within the hour," Phasma says and hangs up before Finn can get another word in. 

His heart feels heavy as he tucks his phone away, looking at the kids' worried faces peering up at him and seeing the wariness in Maz's eyes. "I have to go."

"No!" Alfie protests. Nicole immediately hushes him as Sonya's mouth trembles the way it does before she starts crying. When she and Alfie run out of the room, Ismael shoots Finn a glare and runs after them, Nicole not too far behind. 

Finn squeezes his eyes shut when he hears a door slam upstairs and turns to Maz, his heart feeling sad and heavy. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she says and touches his shoulder gently. "Let me speak with the children. They'll understand in time."

He doesn't think they will, not when he's hurt them so many times before for all the other instances where he had to drop everything for his work. But instead of saying so he leans forward and kisses Maz's cheek. "Thank you."

\--

Finn takes the subway to the precinct and is getting off at his stop, feeling miserable and heartsick, when he hears guitar music and a clear strong voice. It grabs his attention despite his hurry and he pauses, peering through the small crowd gathered around a man that has everyone so captivated. 

The first thing he notices is the man's head of dark curls bent over his guitar as he sings, and even though the man's instrument and clothes are old and worn, they're obviously well cared for. Another is the guitar case lying open at the man's feet with a handful of bills and coins scattered across the inside of it. But what really catches attention is the hauntingly beautiful way the man plays and the way his fingers dance across the guitar strings, almost as if he's casting a spell on everyone who is listening. 

A soft mewl startles Finn out of his musings and a small orange and white kitten peeks out from under the man's worn leather jacket from where it's curled around his neck, like a scarf made of flesh and blood. 

Despite missing dinner and how hungry he is, Finn digs out the crumpled bills in his pocket and drops them into the guitar case. After all, it seems like the man and his cat need it more than he does. Except his traitorous stomach chooses that moment to grumble so loudly that the man with the guitar looks up at him in surprise. His eyes are a deep dark brown that nearly takes Finn's breath away and he probably would have kept staring like an idiot if the people around him didn't start laughing at him then, as if he's the comedic part of the act. 

Embarrassed and wanting the ground to swallow him whole, Finn stumbles up the stairs and out onto the street when his phone goes off. He glances at the screen and finds a message from Zeroes, who is known at the precinct by his designation FN-2000, but insists Finn call him by his nickname. 

 _Where the hell are you?_ the message says, _Phasma is_ _totally pissed_.  

 _I'm on my way_ , Finn types back before shoving his phone in his pocket and running the rest of the way to the precinct. 

He actually makes it with three minutes to spare, getting a thumbs up from Zeroes, but as soon as he walks into Phasma's office, she looks up from her computer and frowns. "You're late." Her eyes flicker down to the dirt on his knees. "And you're not in uniform."

Finn bites the inside of his cheek to keep from protesting that she was the one who called him on the rare night he had off. He's learned a long time ago that arguing just makes things worse. "Yes, Captain."

"State your designation," she orders.

His designation. Not his name. "FN-2187."

Phasma steeples her hands together. "FN-2187, there have been reports that you did not follow protocol and disobeyed the command of your superiors. How do you plead?"

Finn stares at her. The incident she's alluding to was the arrest of a sixteen year old boy a few days ago. Kylo Ren ordered him and his squad to use force if necessary, but the boy surrendered peacefully and last Finn saw him he was taken into custody without incident. 

"What happened to that boy?" Finn finds himself asking and feels a chill run down his spine when Phasma pierces him with her icy gaze. 

"Your actions are the ones being questioned here, FN-2187. It would be wise not getting distracted by trifling matters."

"Trifling?" Finn echoes in disbelief. "The boy was just a teenager! There's nothing trifling about that!"

Phasma's frown deepens. "Your grades from the academy were exceptional. You're more than capable of becoming a superior officer if your emotions didn't hinder you from success."

"I'm not interested in success if I need to spill a child's blood to get it," Finn snaps before he can stop himself. 

"You are on very dangerous ground at the moment," Phasma replies stonily. "Proceed with caution, FN-2187."

"Then I quit," he says and heads toward the door. All the years he spent at the police academy would be a waste, but Finn can't stand the thought of the First Order trying to make him into a killer. He'd be no more different than the criminals they lock away. 

"And what will become of the orphanage?"

Finn freezes and slowly turns, feeling like all the air has been sucked right out of his lungs. "What?"

"If Maz Kanata was arrested -regardless whether she truly committed a crime or not- it would make her unsuitable for fostering and those lovely children will have to go to an institution--"

There's a tightness in his chest making it difficult to breathe. "Stop--"

Phasma ignores him and plows on mercilessly. "And what about the older girl, Rey? Six months from graduation with a scholarship to one of the best universities in the country. One black mark on her record could destroy the bright future ahead of her--"

" _Don't_." Finn is shaking but he can't seem to make himself stop. "Please don't."

"Your compassion makes you weak." There's a note of concern in Phasma's voice that nearly makes him laugh at the absurdity of it. "Remember where your loyalties lie, FN-2187."

Finn forces a nod, fighting against the urge to throw up. "Yes, Captain."

"Very good." She slides a file across the desk toward him. "Do this job well and nobody will get hurt."


	2. Oh lover don't turn away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey makes her appearance and Finn sees a familiar face.

As a boy, Finn had nothing but his imagination to entertain himself, so he pretended to be a number of things. Some days he was a cook or an astronaut, while others he was a vet or a police officer, and every so often he would swing around a stick like a sword and make whoosh noises with his mouth pretending he was a brave knight, but he never once wanted to be a spy. He didn't like the idea of lying and tricking people to get what he wanted, which Maz said was just as well, because his eyes always gave him away when he was being dishonest. So why the First Order is sending him on a mission to infiltrate an activist group known as the Resistance and gather information on its elusive members is a mystery to him. 

It only becomes apparent when Finn drags himself back to his apartment and spreads the file across his kitchen table. There is a surprising lack of information on the Resistance, despite the police's frequent encounters with them. Nothing on their identities, base of operations, or even who their leader is. All the file can actually tell him for sure is that they are skilled in evading capture, cyber terrorism, and -on several frightening occasions- ambushing and subduing the special task force made up of Phasma's best officers she sent out again and again to arrest them. 

The only clue they have is an address of a possible meeting place a couple weeks from now and that each Resistance member has an insignia somewhere on their person to recognize each other as allies. Finn studies the drawing one of the officers had done of it, but although he's not entirely sure what it's supposed to be, something about it is strangely familiar. It's a big red half circle with pointed tips and a diamond sort of shape at the top. It looks almost like a crown, or maybe a bird of some kind. Where has he seen it before?

As Finn flips through the other pages in an attempt to jog his memory, it occurs to him that the reason Phasma is sending him after them isn't because of his scores at the academy or his promising career. The truth is he's expendable, and it doesn't matter one way or another to Phasma or her superiors if he dies, as long as he finds something on the Resistance.

Finn isn't afraid of dying, but he's afraid of what will happen to his family if he fails the mission. Regardless he's killed or not, Maz can't afford to feed everyone or handle Nicole's hospital bills unless Finn brings in extra money. And even if he dies, will that guarantee their safety or will Rey be the First Order's next victim?

He must have fallen asleep with those troubling thoughts on his mind, because the next thing he knows his phone is screaming and the morning light shining through the window nearly blinds him. Finn gropes around until he finds his phone and holds it up to his ear, croaking, "Hello?"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that you were stopping by last night," Rey complains in his ear. " _And_ you left before I got home! What is that all about?"

Finn rubs his eyes, staring blearily at the clock mounted on the wall. Did she have to yell at him so early in the morning? "I was called into work. You know I wouldn't have left otherwise."

"I know, but the kids were really disappointed," she says, her voice softening. 

His throat burns when he remembers Phasma's threats and he stuffs the papers back in their file, shoving it away. "Me too."

Rey must hear the bitterness in his voice, because she sounds worried. "Finn? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he says too quickly. He swallows and forces himself to sound more cheerful. "I'll make it up to you next time, I promise."

Finn can imagine the expression she must be making, the one where she doesn't believe him for a second. But instead of calling him out on it, she says, "Come get coffee with me."

He blinks and stares at the clock again. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"It's the _weekend_ , Finn."

"Oh." He wonders how much Rey will judge him if he asks what day it is. 

"There's someone I have to meet. But I've been meaning to introduce you to each other for ages, so you should come with me."

It's bad enough the girl who is practically his sister is trying to set him up on a date, but Finn hasn't taken a shower and he feels like crap with Phasma's ultimatum hanging over his head. The last thing he wants to do is meet and embarrass himself in front of a complete stranger. 

That train of thought reminds him of the man he saw at the subway station and Finn ends up completely missing Rey's response. 

"Sorry, what was that?" he asks when he realizes it.

She huffs, sounding annoyed. "I said as long as your boss doesn't skin you alive for taking the morning off."

Finn shuts his eyes, remembering how Phasma asked him to turn in his badge and his gun until he was finished with the investigation, so the Resistance wouldn't know he was really with the First Order. "No, that's not it."

"Then what?"

Not wanting to tell her the truth, he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. "I sort of met someone on the subway..."

He can practically _hear_ the grin on Rey's face. "Really?"

"I guess. There was this guy--" Finn stops, suddenly not wanting to go on about a man he didn't know or exchanged a single word with. "Never mind. I'll come."

"If you say so." Rey must be more concerned than he realized, because she adds, "I've missed you, you know."

And Finn, who will always picture her the way she looked when she first came to the orphanage -a tiny scrap of a girl with skinned knees and a mean look in her eye- falls in love with her all over again. "Missed you too."

\--

When Finn arrives at Rey's designated meeting place, his hair is still a little damp from his shower and the dark green shirt he pulled on is wrinkled, but none of that matters when Rey -her hair pulled back in a messy bun and wearing a shirt for the shelter she works at, Organa Rescue printed across the front in blocky letters- waves at him from across the cafe. "Finn, over here!"

He waves back and starts making his way over, but the closer he gets he realizes that the man sitting with Rey looks awfully familiar. Even if Finn is only looking at the back of his head, those curls are unmistakable and when the man turns around he wonders what he did in a past life to deserve this. It's the man from the last night because of course it is, and if he looked attractive in the dim light of the subway station, he looks even more so now at one of the cafe's outside tables, the sun shining on his hair and making it look fiery red in the light. He's wearing the same leather jacket and -curled up in his lap- is the orange and white kitten he saw before. 

"It's you," the man says, eyes bright with recognition and voice so warm that Finn feels the heat rush into his face. 

Rey looks between them curiously and Finn considers throwing himself into the street and in front of oncoming traffic. "You've met?"

"I was performing at the subway station and we saw each other there," the man replies.

Rey stares at Finn, eyebrows raised. "Is that right?" 

"Yeah," he hears himself say faintly. 

The man smiles. "You must be Finn. Rey's told me a lot about you. I'm Poe, and this is BB-8." He gestures to the kitten in his lap sheepishly. "I'd get up but…"

"It's no problem," Finn says as he shakes the man's - _Poe's_ \- hand and sinks into the chair across from him. He should really stop staring, but Poe is gorgeous and Finn has always been a lost cause around nice, attractive people he likes. 

His only comfort is that Rey can act as a buffer to keep him from making a complete fool of himself, but even that's short-lived when her phone goes off a moment later. Judging from the way her eyes light up, it must be from Jessika, another volunteer at the shelter and Rey's girlfriend. "I'll be right back," she says.

Finn nods as Poe salutes her with his coffee cup, saying, "Take your time and tell Jess I said hi."

Rey sticks her tongue out and turns away, but not before Finn catches the sight of the soft, fond smile on her face as she speaks into her phone. "Hey, you."

She steps away and he glances at Poe, who meets his eyes over the rim of his cup. "Um. So do you know Jessika too?"

"We all work together at the shelter," Poe says as he sets his drink down. "You should stop by sometime."

Finn shakes his head. "I'll end up adopting something if I do."

"That's not a bad thing, is it?"

It is because Finn had a dog once, when it was just him and Maz and Rey. They went to a shelter and Maz agreed to let each of them adopt a pet. Rey chose Kara, then a small black kitten, while Finn fell in love with an older dog he named Slip. Slip had long yellow fur and big brown eyes, with one ear that stood straight up while the other flopped over. The staff worker said he was some kind of Golden Retriever mix because of his size, and explained to Finn that he was less likely to get adopted because of his age, since older dogs weren't wanted as much as puppies were. So Finn begged Maz to let him take Slip home with him, tangling his small fingers in Slip's thick fur as he rested his head in Finn's lap, until she said yes. 

A few years later, Slip died peacefully in his sleep. Finn cried for weeks afterward, but he never once regretted choosing an older dog. Even though they only had a short time together, every second of it was precious and he'll cherish those memories for as long as he lives. That's why he doesn't know if his heart will ever be ready for animal in his life.  

But Finn doesn't know how to explain that someone he just met and instead says, "I work odd hours. It wouldn't be fair to any pet I bring home if I can't give it my full attention."

Poe smiles, looking pleased, as if Finn has passed some kind of test. "That's right. Rey mentioned you work as a cop…?"

Finn bites his lip, wondering if he's broken Phasma's rules when Poe already knows his real job. Then Poe's eyes flicker to his mouth and he quickly looks away, heart beating fast and cheeks hot. He tries to think of something to say to dispel the heated moment between them when his stomach embarrasses him yet again. 

Poe blinks as it growls loud enough to make the people sitting at the tables around them turns and stare. Finn buries his face in his hands and jumps when something soft and warm drops in his lap. "What--?"

"Keep an eye on her for me," Poe says as he makes his way inside the cafe and heads toward the counter, seemingly oblivious to the glances he gets from nearly everyone in the vicinity. 

Finn glances down at BB-8, who stares up at him with big grey eyes. He cautiously holds out his hand toward her and she sniffs it before rubbing her cheek against the palm of his hand, rumbling louder than he expects from such a tiny body. 

"I'm impressed. It usually takes her a while to warm up to new people."

Finn startles, nearly dislodging BB-8 from her perch, and looks up at Poe, who has a cup of coffee and a plate in each hand. "I'm used to cats, I guess."

Poe smiles as he sets down both the cup and plate in front of him. "I didn't know what you liked, so I got you my usual."

"You didn't have to," Finn tries to protest, but Poe shakes his head. 

"It wouldn't sit well with me if I let my friend's brother go hungry, especially after you gave me all your money."

The croissant Poe got him makes his mouth water, but Finn still tries to push it back toward him. "I just didn't have time to get anything to eat, that's all."

"Then let me treat you for your hard work," Poe says, leaning back in his chair and sipping his own coffee.

"Thank you." Finn wishes he could better convey to him just how grateful he is. "Really."

He prefers his coffee a little sweeter, but it tastes just as good black. The croissant is warm as he tears it apart piece by piece, savoring each bite as it fills him up and eases his hunger. Every once in a while, he catches Poe staring at him while he eats, but he just smiles until Finn looks away. 

After setting his empty plate aside, Finn spots Rey sitting at another table, laughing at something Jessika is saying to her. He frowns suddenly because something doesn't feel right but he can't pinpoint what it is exactly. 

"What's wrong?" Poe asks, noticing his expression. 

"Do you usually meet Rey like this?" 

Poe blinks in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's a little strange for a grown man to meet a high school girl alone. Even if it is work related," he says, suspicious as soon as he voices the thought aloud, but Poe just shrugs. 

"Don't worry. She's not my type." He gazes at Finn up and down, then actually winks. "You on the other hand--"

"Please refrain from flirting with my brother, Dameron," Rey says, appearing out of nowhere and saving Finn from further embarrassment.

Poe feigns an innocent look. "Who, me?"

Rey shakes her head and Finn laughs, more out of nervousness than actual humor (because Poe is way out of his league), and fails to realize that Poe never really answered his question.


	3. The future's banging on your door

Despite not having to go into the precinct, Finn's workload has doubled since he's been assigned undercover. It's bad enough FN-2199, or Nines -Phasma's assistant, will text him for status updates or email forms he has to fill out every few hours a day on her orders, but the mountain of paperwork he has to fill out every day quickly becomes tedious. 

Normally, Finn wouldn't be bothered one way or another because he's always thorough when it comes to writing up reports, but none of this seems very productive and feels more like he's being kept occupied. Like the First Order doesn't want him to interfere with whatever is going on at the station. 

The truth of the matter is, Finn is sure that his superiors are setting him up for failure. All the research he's done on the Resistance just reinforces the realization that they are fighting against the corruption in this city, a lot of which the Millennium Falcon -a privately owned but greatly reputed newspaper- blames the First Order for. 

Even if Finn does find out who the members of the Resistance are, he's not entirely sure if his conscience would let him turn them in to the police force that murders children. The only reason he's even considering it is because of the threat of the his family's safety hanging over his head. 

His one source of happiness that isn't somehow tainted with the First Order or the Resistance is the time he spends with Poe. After having coffee together at their first meeting, Poe takes him aside and hands him a napkin with his number scrawled in black ink, his handwriting cramped but very neat. 

Finn goes home and spends a long time debating whether or not to call him, worried about getting someone like Poe -who cares about animals and plays his guitar in public because he loves performing his music for others- become another person the First Order will hurt if he fails his mission. But Poe texts him the next day, saying he got Finn's number from Rey, and invites him out for coffee again. Finn agrees, despite all the reasons why he shouldn't, and insists that he treat Poe this time around. 

Over the next several days, they meet for coffee frequently and have even gone out for dinner a couple times. Finn is surprised by how quickly they've connected in such a short amount of time, something that has never happened to him before, and being with Poe is always the highlight of his day. So much so that one night after having dinner at the Thai place Poe loves, Finn invites him -and by extension, BB-8- to his apartment for the first time. 

It's only after he has Poe standing in his tiny apartment with his meager belongings that Finn realizes his mistake. He doesn't have much besides sparse furniture and an old laptop, which Rey is convinced is a fossil from the Stone Age. Up until now Finn has never been embarrassed about how modestly he lives, because his family is more important that fancy furniture, so why is it so different when Poe is around?

At least Finn remembered to put away his First Order files. Not only to avoid Poe catching sight of them, but also when BB-8 leaps off her master's shoulder, skitters across Finn's desk, and perches on the top of his bookshelf, claiming it like a throne to her new kingdom. 

"Sorry about her," Poe says, looking slightly abashed, and it's so adorable that Finn bites his lip to fight against the urge to grin. 

"Don't be. I'm used to cats." 

Poe -apparently having met Kara before from the times Rey takes her to the shelter- seems to accept this readily enough, but then his eyes flicker to Finn's mouth and his heart immediately starts speeding up at the heated look he sees there. How much he wants to kiss Poe in that moment.

"Um." Finn backs away toward the kitchen. "I should-- Do you want something to drink? I can make us some tea." He never had tea before Maz took him in, but between her and Rey's British ways, he's become a tea advocate like the rest of them. 

Poe slowly nods, but his eyes never leave Finn's, like he doesn't process the question at first. When he finally does, he smiles sheepishly and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Sure," he says, his voice slightly higher than Finn has ever heard it. "That'd be great."

It's so charming that Finn barely remembers telling Poe to make himself comfortable, then flees into the kitchen in case he does something really dumb. Like kiss Rey's coworker and friend, who he only met a couple weeks ago. Even if he really, really wants to. 

After almost pouring hot water on himself thinking about how much he would like to kiss Poe, Finn returns to the living room with cups of tea (he should probably offer him a beer or something, but his refrigerator is distressingly barren of much else, and he doesn't want to give Rey the incentive to start drinking) and finds Poe standing at his desk, studying the framed picture Finn keeps there. Finn has never had much, never needed much, and the pictures is one of the few things in his entire apartment that makes it more than just a place he sleeps in. 

"That was the day I graduated from the academy," Finn says as he sets the cups down and leans close until their shoulders touch. Thankfully, Poe makes no move to pull away. 

In the picture, Finn is dressed in his uniform and beaming at the camera with his family clustered around him. Sonya is riding his shoulders while Maz stands to his right, her arms around Nicole and Alfie. On his left, Rey has her hand on Ismael's shoulder, who is wearing Finn's police cap and has a huge grin on his face. 

"You have a beautiful family," Poe says, eyes warm when Finn meets his gaze. 

Words like that are usually said by strangers after realizing Finn isn't related to his family by blood. Forced smiles usually follow, lacking all sincerity, but Poe is different. He sounds like he really means what he says, and Finn has never felt as fond for anyone than he does right at this moment. 

"Do you have any siblings?" Finn asks. He honestly wants to know, but he's also trying to distract him from the urge to kiss Poe again, which is stronger than before. 

Poe shakes his head ruefully. "As much as Pava acts like the sister I never asked for, I'm an only child. Mama used to joke that Papa was her other child though."

"Used to?"

Poe's eyes flicker away. "They passed away when I was still in high school, and friends of theirs took me in."

Finn doesn't know how to respond at first. He lost his real parents too long ago to miss them, even if he noticed the gapping absence in his life. It must be harder for Poe, who had a whole life with his parents and lost them during a time he needed them the most. 

"You should come with me the next time I visit Maz and the kids," Finn offers. Poe glances at him in surprise and he falters, suddenly unsure. He never feels comfortable when people offer condolences about what happened to his parents, but maybe it would have been more appropriate for Poe. "I mean, if you want."

"Do you mean that?" Poe asks in a strange voice. 

"Yes?" It sounds too much like a question, so Finn tries again. "Yes. Of course."

Poe startles him by invading his personal space, his arms reaching out and dragging Finn close for a hug. "I'm holding you to that," he says quietly.

Finn hugs him back, tucking his face against his neck. "Anytime. Just as long as it's not when I'm working."

He regrets his attempt of a joke immediately when Poe pulls away, studying his face for something but Finn not being able to figure out what it is. "You're too good to be a cop," he says after a long moment.

Finn knows Poe doesn't mean to hurt him, but the words cut deep all the same. He hunches his shoulders as if it'd been a physical blow and says, "I just want to help people."

"You can," Poe replies, sounding so passionately sure that it takes him by surprise. "But not like this. Finn--"

Whatever Poe is about to say is cut off when Finn's phone alerts him to a text. It's from Nines, telling him that Phasma wants him to report in. "Sorry. I have work."

Poe bites his lip, as if to keep from saying whatever is really on his mind. "I'd better go anyway."

Finn wants to protest, but says nothing as Poe calls for BB-8 and she leaps into his arms. Poe stops at the door and looks back, uncharacteristically nervous. "I got a gig at Yavin Four tomorrow night," he says. "That is, if you want to come."

"Of course I do," Finn blurts out. He’s never been there himself, but Yavin Four is supposed to be a famous bar known for being a hot spot for drinks and live performances. He can't think of anyone who deserves to perform there more than Poe does.

The bright smile Finn gets in response is too gorgeous to be real. Poe's eyes lower shyly and Finn marvels about how long his lashes are. "Great," Poe says softly. "That's great." 

When Poe looks up again, he hesitates before leaning in and kissing Finn's cheek very briefly, and then he's gone. 

Finn raises a hand to his face as he watches Poe hurry down the hall, catching BB-8's eyes staring back at him before they disappear around a corner. Then, and only then, does he raise his phone to his ear. 

"FN-2187 reporting," he says as soon as Phasma answers. 

"You're too lax in your duties, FN-2187," she says, her tone heavy with disapproval. "A message from the Resistance has been intercepted which are in the process of getting it decoded."

"Captain, I--"

"Spare me your excuses," Phasma cuts him off abruptly. "You're on standby so be ready for anything. Do _not_ disappoint me, FN-2187."

"Yes, Captain."

She hangs up on him and Finn sighs, wondering if he should go over the Resistance file again when his phone starts ringing again. 

He picks it up, hoping it's Poe, and deflates a little when he sees that it's Rey instead. It's silly to be disappointed, Finn knows, but there's something about Poe that makes him want to spend every moment with him. 

"Hello?"

"You're going on a date with Poe?" Rey asks, delighted.

Finn doesn't need to look in a mirror to know that he's making a ridiculous expression. "What--? How do you know about that? He only just asked me."

Rey sounds smug when she says, "Jess told me he's been agonizing about it the last few days."

He blinks. "Huh?"

She laughs at his confusion. "She caught him practicing the way he'd ask you in front of the dog kennels when he thought no one else was around."

Finn's face warms imagining Poe crouched in front of the animals are the shelter, pretending they were him, and how Poe was so nervous asking Finn to see him perform.

"--Finn?"

Belatedly, he realizes Rey asked him a question that he completely missed. "Sorry?"

She huffs in irritation. "I said, what are you wearing for your date?"

Finn glances down at himself. His long sleeved black shirt and jeans are pretty simple, he'll admit, but he treats his clothes as best he can. Besides, Poe dresses similarly, even if he makes his clothes look much more expensive and stylish than Finn's. "What's wrong with what I usually wear?" he asks.

"You're hopeless," Rey says, sounding fondly exasperated. "Jess and I will help you pick something out tomorrow."

He rolls his eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of choosing my own clothes, thank you very much."

\--

"Pretty sure I told you I can pick an outfit without help," Finn says when his doorbell rings the next evening and he finds Rey -with Jess in tow- carrying a couple shopping bags. 

Rey scoffs and heads straight to his bedroom like she owns the place. "I'll believe it when I see it," she replies. 

Finn shakes his head before smiling apologetically at Jessika as he moves in for a hug. "It's good to see you again," he says. "Sorry that Rey dragged you over here."

"Good to see you too," Jessika says with a warm smile as she hugs him back. "And don't be. This is tame compared to how she is at the shelter. She always has to be in charge of everything."

"Hey," Rey says as she appears again in the doorway, trying and failing to look angry. "I heard that." 

Jessika blinks her big eyes at Rey, feigning innocence. "What? You know it's true." 

Rey just shakes her head and disappears back into the bedroom. 

Jessika shares an amused look with Finn. "But really, thanks for having me over. It's been a while since we saw each other last."

"Way too long," he says in agreement. Finn hasn't seen Jessika since the night Rey brought her over for dinner at Maz's house and announced to everyone that they were dating. Finn hadn't known much about Jessika other than the few things Rey mentioned over the phone or when she talked about work at the shelter and Jessika's name popped up randomly. He was apprehensive about it at first (he remembered how people in high school were like to those who didn't fit the status quo), but they seem happy enough and Jessika seems to be treating his sister well. That's all he can ask for really. 

"You need to stop by the shelter one of these days," Jessika says as he leads her into his room. 

"Maybe on my next day off." Technically Finn doesn't get a day off, especially since Phasma assigned him on his mission, but he still keeps up the pretense so his family and Poe don't notice anything out of the ordinary. 

As soon as they walk into his bedroom, it's to find Rey already unpacking the clothes she brought with her and laying them out on the bed. He stares at it all with dismay, because she's clearly bought more than she should have. "Rey, this is too much."

"Don't you even start," she warns as Jessika helps her with sorting through it. "I know all about the money you give to Maz, so let me buy you nice things once in a while."

"You need to save up for your future," Finn protests. He sounds way too much like their foster mother and maybe it's a little hypocritical of him to say, but he wants Maz, the kids, and especially Rey to be okay if he's not around anymore. It doesn't feel right to have Rey spend the money she worked so hard for on him. 

Rey rolls her eyes at Jessika, who attempts to hide a smile, and shoves a shirt and pants at him. "Here, try these on while I make us some tea." She takes Jessika by the hand and leads her toward the kitchen. "And you're not allowed to leave this apartment unless you wear your new clothes."

The door closes behind them and Finn glances at his phone, tempted to text Poe to let him know that he's been taken captive by his sister and her girlfriend. But Finn decides against it because this is _Poe_ after all, and despite the special kind of shame in needing help dressing himself, he does want to impress him by looking nice. 

So when Finn shows up at Yavin Four, dressed in a burgundy sweater and dark pants, his stomach swoops at the heat in Poe's gaze as he takes in the sight of him. He reminds himself to thank Jessika and Rey for their help, because having to try on all those different outfits make it all worth it for that one look. Finn can't help staring at Poe either, wearing a simple off white henley and black jeans with his ever present leather jacket. They probably would have stood there taking in the sight of each other all night, but then BB-8 wriggles out of Poe's shirt and cries until Finn holds her. 

"You look very nice," Poe says and leans forward to kiss his cheek. "Glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't have missed it for anything," Finn replies with a smile. Feeling daring, he catches Poe's hand and twines their fingers together, while his other hand keeps BB-8 cradled protectively against his chest. "And you always look great."

Poe laughs, but Finn means every word of it. Especially when he notices the way Poe turns the head of the people around them as they move to the bar, even if Poe doesn't seem to. 

"Come on," Poe says, still completely clueless to the attention he's getting from everyone else. "I want to introduce you to my friends."

The lovely woman at the bar winks at Finn as Poe introduces her as Kare Kun, an old friend of his. She reaches over the wood surface and Finn lets go to Poe's hand to shake hers, even if he misses the feel of him. Kare has an impressively strong grip, which leaves no doubt in his mind that she could take him in a fight if she really wanted to. 

"So you're Finn. I've heard _so much_ about you," she says, shooting Poe a sly look as she releases his hand. "It's about time this one finally brought you over. I was starting to think he planned to hide you from the rest of us forever."

Finn can feel the heat riding in his face at the thought of Poe telling his friends about him, although he carefully avoids looking at him. Finn knows if he does he'll start smiling at Poe like an idiot. Instead, he tells Kare, "It's good to meet you."

Kare smiles and says to Poe, "He's just as adorable as you said he is."

"All right, that's enough," Poe says with a flush in his cheeks that wasn't there before. He turns to Finn and takes his hand. "I have to go set up but Kare will take care of you." He pauses, as if wanting to say more, but changes his mind at the last minute. "Watch BB-8 for me, yeah?"

Finn nods. "Sure." Poe gives his hand a gentle squeeze and walks away before disappearing into the crowd. 

He watches him go but doesn't realize how blatantly he's starting until he turns back to Kare and finds her smirking at him. Mercifully, she doesn't call him out on it. "What can I get you, Finn?" she asks as he sits down and helps BB-8 onto his shoulder so she can be more comfortable too. 

"I don't really know." He doesn't drink very often and when he does, it's usually just a beer or two in the privacy of his own apartment. When it comes to this kind of setting, he's at a total loss, unsure of what he would or would not like. 

Kare considers him for a moment. "How about I surprise you?" Finn nods hesitantly and holds out his card, but she waves him off. "Poe told me to take care of you, so drinks are on him."

Finn tries to protest, insisting he can pay for himself, but she ignores and starts throwing his drink together. She moves quick and sure, not spilling a single drop as she pours and stirs. When finished, she slides his drink of him and Finn can't help marveling at it. It's a tall but thin glass of what looks like juice, with mint leaves and berries in it, and a couple wedges of lime artfully arranged on top.

"Thank you," he says softly and takes a sip, pleasantly surprised by how it's sweet without being overpowering, and how it goes down so smoothly he can't even tell that he's drinking alcohol. "This is amazing."

"Kare is very talented," an older woman says as she settles in the seat next to him. She moves with a fluidness and grace that Finn knows he could never achieve, and her eyes are warm when BB-8 leaps into her lap, meowing. She strokes BB-8's soft fur for a moment before turning her attention back to Finn. "She even graduated from culinary school. And this place wouldn't be able to stay afloat without her."

"Leia, stop. You're embarrassing me," Kare says, but the way she beams at the compliment tells a different story. 

The woman -Leia- doesn't seem the least apologetic about it either. "You also have excellent work ethic," she tells her, "Unlike _somebody_ I know."

"Ouch. Way to pull your punches, sweetheart," a sour faced old man with grey hair grumbles even as he leans over to press a kiss against her forehead. Then he notices Finn and eyes him curiously. "Who's this?"

Leia elbows him in the ribs while Kare says, gleefully, "This is Poe's new beau." 

 _Beau_. A word Finn has never heard in a conversation he's been part of before, much less spoken about him.

The old man looks at him with surprise and Finn wants nothing more than the floor to swallow him up whole, realizing that they must be the family friends who took Poe in after his parents passed away. Finn's nervousness must be clearly visible on his face because Leia takes pity on him enough to extend her hand for him to shake. He does, taken aback by how her grip is stronger than he expects from such a tiny woman.

"Leia Organa," she introduces herself. "And this is my husband, Han."

"Finn," he manages to choke out because Poe just _left him here to fend for himself_. 

"Shit," Han says, voicing Finn's sentiments to the letter. "Was that today? Where the hell is Chewie? I need him to be intimidating."

But Finn recognizes the name Organa and blinks. "Leia Organa? From Organa Rescue?"

"That's right," she says, staring at Finn intently. "And Rey is your sister."

It doesn't sound like a question. It's too direct and too calculating for that. "Yes," he says cautiously, knowing that he's missing something but not sure what it could be. 

Leia looks like she wants to say more, but everyone around them starts cheering when Poe walks on stage. 

When Poe said he was performing here tonight, Finn assumed it was be his first time playing in front of an actual crowd instead of a group of subway commuters. But judging by the way people are applauding and shouting his name, Finn realizes that Poe may have just been modest about it. Every person here obviously knows and adores him, their cheers getting louder when he steps up to the mike.

"Hey, everybody," Poe says with a bright smile. He strums his guitar a couple times, the same one he had with him at the subway station. "Someone very special is here tonight, so this song is dedicated to them. I hope you like it."

The last part he says while looking straight at Finn, who squirms in his seat, all too aware of the way Kare and Poe's foster parents are staring at him. But as embarrassing as it is, he's powerless to stop the stupid grin that finds its way on his face because Poe is _amazing_. 

The song he plays is slow and a little melancholy, but there’s a wistfulness and warmth in the lyrics and his voice that leaves no doubt in Finn’s mind what the message behind it is. Because he feels the exact same way. 

Maybe his drink is affecting him, or maybe it’s the thrill of knowing how Poe feels, but Finn stares at the long line of his throat when Poe throws his head back every time he hits a high note or changes pitch. He looks at Poe, unabashed and unashamed, because it’s been so long since he’s had someone looking back. He'd forgotten how wonderful such a feeling can be.

Poe doesn’t look away even when the song ends, the last note lingering in the air around them. He looks only at Finn and smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and Finn helplessly smiles back. Because he knows with certainty that even though they haven't spent a lot of time with each other and it's too soon to claim to love him, what he feels for Poe is the real thing. 

Even when Poe glances down at his guitar, even when he plays a few more songs that take on a more somber tone, it does nothing to diminish the giddiness Finn is feeling. Especially when he remembers how Poe hesitated before kissing his cheek and the thought suddenly occurs to him that Poe might have meant to kiss another part of his face last night. 

By the time Poe finishes his set, Finn is on his feet and clapping as loud as he can, although it’s drowned out by the rest of the crowd’s hoots and hollers. Poe leaves the guitar on its stand and steps off the stage, moving through people and around tables -pausing to thank the one who compliment his performance without stopping- until he reaches the bar. He moves to Finn's side, eyes flickering to his lap, where BB-8 had crawled into during the last song and fell asleep. 

Poe squeezes Han’s shoulder briefly before leaning down to kiss Leia’s cheek. “Are the two of you being nice to Finn?” he asks.

“We’re always nice,” Han grumbles as Leia hides a smile. 

“I’m actually disappointed,” Kare says. “Solo didn’t even threaten to sic Chewbacca on him properly.”

Han scowls, but he looks more embarrassed than anything. “I was caught off guard, all right?”

“Thank god for small mercies," Poe murmurs to Finn in a stage whisper, his mouth startlingly closer than it was a moment ago. Finn tries not to think about the way Poe drapes his arm over the back of Finn's chair, the warmth of his body and the sheen of sweat caused by the bright lights of the stage sends his stomach into knots that aren't the least bit unpleasant. He's tempted to ask Kare for another drink, but he's already had two glasses and that's past his limit. "Chewie's an old friend of the family. Usually he's a sweet guy, but things always spin out of control when him and Han are together. One time--"

"What have I ever done to you?" Han demands.

Leia huffs, raising her glass -just water with lemon and cucumber slices- to her lips. "You mean, besides embarrassing him in front of all his friends?"

"I'm his surrogate father. It's my legal right."

Leia rolls her eyes and opens her mouth, but before she can say anything else the tallest man Finn has ever seen ambles over. Nearly every inch of skin is covered in hair and he growls something in an accent so thick that Finn can't distinguish the words. 

Everyone at the bar tenses except for Finn, who stares at them at a loss. Han immediately slips off his chair and hurries after the man without even a goodbye, but Leia pauses long enough to touch his hand and tell him how happy they are to meet him before following. Poe shares a glance with Kare, then reaches for Finn's hand, his expression apologetic. 

"I'll be right back, okay?"

"What's going on?" Finn asks, becoming more and more concerned. There isn't much he could do as an off duty cop, but if anyone is acting unruly--

Poe squeezes his hand. "It's nothing. Just a little technical problem, won't take that long to fix at all."

Finn nearly points out that a small issue shouldn't warrant just a reaction, but he bites his tongue and nods. Despite the way he feels, there's no guarantee that Poe feels the same way. And this problem, whatever it is, is clearly something family and close friends are expected to deal with. Finn is just the outsider. So he nods and forces a smile until Poe disappears into the office behind the bar. 

He can feel Kare staring at him, but thankfully his phone starts buzzing before she can say anything about it. The sound startles BB-8 enough to wake her and she meow indignantly about it until he scoops her up against his chest, stumbling outside when he sees it's from the precinct. 

"Captain?"

"FN-2187." He doesn't know how anyone can make a series of letters and number sound so filled with disappointment and contempt, but Phasma manages it somehow. "The message has been decoded and we have reason to believe that an individual known as 'Black Leader' is at Yavin Four tonight. You are to go and investigate for any suspicious activities or individuals."

Finn feels his heart speed up with worry and alarm, thinking that one of the Resistance would be here, putting Poe and his family in danger. The only reassurance he has is that the Resistance never takes a life or harm civilians, which doesn't actually do much to ease his troubles. "Yes ma'am."

"Very good. Submit in your report to FN-2199 within two hours."

She hangs up, but Finn hardly notices as he pockets his phone. He wishes, not for the first time, that Phasma had let him keep his gun. He feels painfully vulnerable and useless like this, having no weapon in case the Resistance does start something violent tonight. 

BB-8 peers up at him with her big eyes and makes a soft noise. Finn pets her absently, already turning to go back inside when he nearly runs into Poe. 

"There you are," he says, smiling. "Kare said you went outside to take a call. Everything okay?"

"Just Rey checking in." Finn feels guilty about lying to him, but he's too afraid to care. After everything he's learned about the Resistance, he doesn't want Poe to get caught up with that. He wants him to be safe. "I think I've had too much to drink. Can you walk me home?"

Poe stares at him, his dark eyes curious, and Finn stares back, holding his body carefully still to avoid squirming under that gaze. A part of him is ashamed for leaving Poe's family and friends, but Poe is his priority. If anything does happen, at least he'll have kept Poe safe. 

Just when Finn starts to worry that Poe will refuse, he nods. "Sure, buddy. Let me just say goodbye to my folks."

Maz would be appalled with Finn for not doing the polite thing and following Poe to do the same, but he waits outside, cradling BB-8 in his arms and counting his breaths while trying not to think about how he was sitting in that bar all night and didn't notice anything amiss. Some police officer he is. 

"All set," Poe says when he reappears, still taking Finn by surprise, even though he expected it. Poe's brow furrows with concern. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Finn says quickly. 

"Are you sure?" 

He nods. "I'm too much of a lightweight, I guess."

"Oh." Poe considers this before moving close to Finn's side, holding out his hand. "Do you need some help?"

Finn doesn't, because he's not really drunk, he's barely even buzzed, but he'll take any excuse to touch Poe. Because he's a coward, and if Poe never wants to touch him again after tonight, at least he'll have this small moment of happiness. 

"Yeah," Finn says softly and reaches of his hand. "Yeah, I do."

Poe is the one who maintains most of the conversation as they make their way to Finn's apartment. He asks Finn whether he enjoyed the show and what he thought of Han and Leia. Finn answers honestly, because he really did have a great time seeing Poe perform and he liked meeting his friends and family. And it's obvious, while they may not be his real parents, Leia and Han really do love him. Finn silently prays to whoever is listening that nothing bad will happen to them. 

Whether it's because of his nerves or his guilt, Finn doesn't even realize how much he's trembling until Poe stops and lets go his hands. Poe starts shrugging off his jacket, wearing a long sleeved shirt underneath, which bunches along his chest and arms as he moves. "Poe, what--"

"Seems like you need it more than me," Poe says, biting his lip as he helps Finn pull it on, maneuvering so they don't accidentally drop BB-8. She complains about it until Poe holds her, shielding her from the cold night air. "It suits you. Really."

Finn wonders when his life became a romantic comedy like the ones he pretends not to love and Rey teases him mercilessly about. "But it's yours. You're not cold?"

"I feel kind of warm, actually," Poe asks, staring up at the sky, cheeks tinged slightly pink.

Finn feels his own face warm and pulls the jacket tighter around him, resisting the urge to bury his nose against the collar and breathe in his scent. "Thanks, Poe."

Poe smiles at him and takes his hand again, distracting him with stories about serving in the Air Force with Kare and another friend of his, Iolo Arana, who also helps out at the shelter. Finn lets the words and Poe's voice wash over him, and barely notices when they reach his apartment. It's only when they're standing right outside the front door that Finn realizes where they are. He's disappointed that it has to end so quickly, but tries not to let it show.

"I had a really great time tonight," he says, which isn't a lie. He was having a lot of fun before Phasma called him. "You were so amazing on stage."

If Poe is bothered by his awkward praise, it's hard to tell when he looks at him with his eyes all soft and warm as they are now. "I'm glad." 

He seems to be waiting for something, although Finn isn't quite sure what. But then he remembers the jacket and starts to pull it off. "Oh, here--"

"No, no," Poe says and tugs it back in place with the hand that isn't hold BB-8. "You should keep it."

Finn bites his lip, face burning because his life really _has_ turned into a romcom, especially when Poe's gaze flickers to his mouth. Giving in to the urge, Finn lays his hand on Poe's cheek, sweeping his thumb back and forth. "Can I kiss you?" he asks. 

"Please," Poe says, tilting his face into his palm, watching with his dark eyes, and that's all the incentive Finn needs to lean in. 

He moves slowly to give Poe the chance to pull away, but then he leans in too and Finn's heart leaps when their lips brush against each other, gentle and sweet. 

It's over sooner than he'd like, but Poe is smiling when they pull apart. He looks immensely pleased with himself and Finn finds himself leaning in again, except this kiss is a much more headier experience than their previous one. The hand he has on Poe's face moves almost of its own accord to bury itself in the soft curls of his hair while the other grips his shoulder. Poe's free hand slides down his back before slipping beneath the jacket and his sweater to touch the bare skin of his waist. 

Finn gasps against his mouth as Poe crowds him against the door and licks against his slightly parted lips, lighting all of his nerves on fire. They press closer to deepen the kiss, tasting each other, neither of them wanting to let go. There's nothing Finn wants more than to stay here forever, but sharp little claws sink into his shirt where the jacket isn't protecting him and he yelps, startling Poe enough to pull away. 

BB-8 makes a growling sound and Poe looks at Finn, apologetic and slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. That usually means that she's hungry."

"It's okay," Finn says, although he can't help wondering how such a tiny creature can be so lethal. Then again, they were are the bar for quite a while. If what Poe says is true, the poor thing must be starving, so he finds it within himself to forgive her. "Text me when you get home?"

As soon as the words leave his lips, he feels like an idiot. Poe is a grown man and can take care of himself, but Finn can't help worrying. Sometimes when Rey stops by his apartment, he always reminds her to text him to let him know that she got home safe, so he says it more out of habit than anything else. But instead of rolling his eyes and saying, "Yes, mom," like Rey would have, Poe just smiles. 

"I will," he promises and kisses him, sweet and fleeting. "Goodnight, Finn."

Finn breathes out a faint, "Goodnight," and watches Poe leave before wandering into his apartment, unable to think about anything else except that he kissed Poe and Poe kissed him _back_. He lays back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling -warm and slightly dizzy- and hopes he never wakes up from this dream.

In a few moments, Nines will text him for his status report and he'll type back, _No sign of Black Leader_ , and he won't even feel all that guilty about it.

As long as Poe is safe, he'll face whatever consequences come his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating this chapter took a lot longer than I expected it would. I meant to split it into two parts, but I couldn't find a good place to, so hopefully the longer chapter will make up for how late it is. 
> 
> By the way, writing Leia and Han's bantering is a lot of fun, because they're so prickly but so in love. It's just too bad things ended up the way they did. (Thanks for nothing, Kylo.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [victoriousscarf](http://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriousscarf) for putting up with me throughout the writing process. I would promise not to do it anymore, but then I would be lying.
> 
> The title comes from a song called "The Measure of Things", performed by Oscar Isaac.


End file.
